Sister Carrie

rie indulged in the most

he scattered her meagre four-fifty per week with a swift and graceful hand. Indeed, as she sat in her rocking-chair these several evenings before going to bed and looked out upon the ple

, flushed with her first success and ready, for all her weariness, to discuss the now interesting events which led up to her achievement, the former had merely smiled approvingly and inquired whether she would have to spend any of it for car fare. This considerat

nce and the silent manner in which he slopped about. He had a pair of yellow carpet slippers which he enjoyed wearing, and these he would immediately substitute for his solid pair of shoes. This, a

re atmosphere of the flat, as such things are inclined to do, and gave to his wife's mind its subdued and tactful

ime, did you?" he rema

Carrie with a t

rned to play with the baby, leaving the subject un

uced to the common level of observ

a large company," she

lots of clerks. The man I saw sai

et work now," put in Han

sband's somewhat conversational mood, began to tell Carrie of some of t

enue. There are such fine hous

mentioning one of the theatres devoted to me

e," answered Minnie. "It's in H

e. I crossed Halstead St

things which involved the expenditure of money--shades of feeling which arose in the mind of Hanson and then in Minnie-- slightly affected the atmosphere of the table. Minnie answered "yes," but

mewhat freer conversation, Carrie interrupting i

et, if it isn't too far," said Carrie, after a

nt to go to-night," returned Min

d--he'd enjoy it

go very often,"

," rejoined Carrie. "

r that point was already negatively settled with her--but upon some

" she said at last, findin

e root of the op

said. "You go with me."

o along," s

d rattling the dishes to drown t

Naturally timid in all things that related to her own advancement, and especially so when without power or resource, her c

she plead

enditure a little less difficult to talk about with her husband. But if Carrie was going to think of running around in the

ot those of a cold, hard nature at all. They were the serious reflections of a mind which invariabl

son. It was a half-hearted procedure

husband. Hanson looked up from his paper, and they exchanged a mild lo

he returned. "What d

ob's," sai

is paper and shook

gained a still clearer feeling of their way of life. It

and at the foot of the stair

to this, and Carrie put o

son, coming back into the dining-r

of the stairs," answered Minnie. "I gue

t spending her money on theatres

ious, I guess," ventured Min

and went over to the baby, hi

young girl might indulge in, and wondering how Carrie could contempl

lth, although there was, perhaps, not a person on the street worth more than a hundred thousand dollars. She was glad to be out of the flat, because already she felt that it was a narrow, humdrum place, and that interest and joy lay elsewhere. Her thoughts now were of a more l

l straw hat which she had worn all summer at Columbia City. Her shoes were old, and her necktie was in that crumpled, flattened state which time and much wearing impart. She

Minnie, and the baby ate together, the latter being just old enough to sit in a high chair and disturb the dishes with a spoon. Her spirits were greatly subdued now when the fact of entering upon strange and untried duties confronted her. Only the ashes of all her fine fancies were remaining--ashes still concealing, nevertheless, a few red embers of hop

was best to walk, that morning at least, to see if she could do it every day-

w it goes to-nigh

nerally coming out of doors and passing about the neighbourhood, Carrie felt slightly reassured. In the sunshine of the morning, beneath the wide, blue heavens, with a fresh wind astir, what fears, except th

bers; men and women, girls and boys were moving onward in all directions. She met girls of her own age, who looked at her as if with contempt for her diffidence. She wondered at the magnitude of this life and at the importance of knowing much in order to do anyt

ams and Fifth Avenue and entered the elevator. When she stepped out on the fourth floor there was no one at

ame up. He did not se

you want?" h

s heart

come this morning t

ted. "Um--yes. Wh

ie Me

he. "You com

s and blue gingham aprons were working. She followed him diffidently through the clattering automatons, keeping her eyes straight before her, and flushing slightly. They crossed to a far corner and took an elevator to the sixth floor. Out of the array o

g like this before, have you?"

," she a

ss to where a line of girls occupied stools in front of clacking machines. On the shoulder of one of the

how to do what you're doing. Whe

rose promptly and ga

over. "You just take this so, fasten it

a small steel rod at the side of the machine. The latter jumped to the task of punching, with sharp, snapping clicks, cutting circular bits of leather out of the side of th

speed was necessary or the work would pile up on her and all those below would be delayed. She had no time to look about, and bent anxiously to her t

nical movement of the machine. She felt, as the minutes passed, that the room was not very light. It had a thick odour of fresh lea

ng in the leather, a great hand appeared before her eyes and fastened the clamp for

id, "start your machine. Do

dly on, hardly breathing until the shadow moved awa

he stool she sat on was without a back or foot-rest, and she began to feel uncomfortable. She found, after a time, that her back was beginning

girl at her right, without any form

gratefully. "I gues

for a while, but it was a more difficult positio

nture to look around, but above the clack of the machine she could hear an occ

t?" said the girl at her lef

o.

n the tie he had on. G

tantly assumed a solemn face. The foreman passed slowly along, eyeing each wo

l at her left, "what

n't k

Harris at Martin's last nigh

the machines, bearing a basket of leather findings under his left arm, and pressed against his

she exclaimed a

nned broadl

e looked after him. There was

ain. There was nothing to be done, however. The halves of the uppers came piling steadily down. Her hands began to ache at the wrists and then in the fingers, and towards the last she seemed one mass of dull, complaining muscles, fixed in an eternal position and performing a single mechanical movement which became more and more distasteful, until as last it was absolutely nauseating. When she was wondering whether the strain would ever cease, a dull- sounding

thirsty. On the way to the small space portioned off by wood, where all the wr

"did you get al

he replied, ver

want of something be

so bad, but the new socialism which involves pleasant working conditio

d surface. Not the slightest provision had been made for the comfort of the employees, the idea being that something was gained by giving them as little and making the work as hard and unremunerative as possible. What we know of foot-res

who had gone out. She saw no place which did not hold a couple or a group of girls, and being too timid to think of intruding herself, she sought out her machine and, seated upon her stool, opened her lunch on her

a waltz step in a few feet of space near one of t

lled another, "you'll

r," was her o

was something hard and low about it all. She feared that the young boys about would address such remarks to her--boys who, beside Drouet, seemed uncouth and ridiculous. She made the avera

lusion ended when another young man passed along the aisle and poked her indifferently in the ribs with his thumb. She turned about, in

state of mind. "Don't you mind

City and the better side of her home life came back. By three o'clock she was sure it must be six, and by four it seemed as if they had forgotten to note the hour and were letting all work overtime. The foreman became a true ogre, prowling constantly about, keeping her

ing her hat, a young machine hand, attracte

lled, "if you wait,

direction that she knew who was

toil-stained youth tried to make an im

outside for the appearance of ano

ay, are you?" he

she had applied. There were the crowds, hurrying with the same buzz and energy-yielding enthusiasm. She felt a slight relief, but it was only at h